Portland has been a main stop on any west coast road trip for years! With its quirky brunch spots, spas, shops, and bars, Portland is an unbeatable spot for a girl’s weekend, and I’ve already drawn up your itinerary for you! (Thank me later.) If you’ve been to Portland, you probably know all about the amazing gardens, museums, shops, and restaurants downtown, but I want to help you get off the beaten path a little bit so that you can check out some of my favorite haunts in NE Portland. Yes, Powell’s Books is amazing and VooDoo donuts are ever popular, but if you want a fresh take on our city, keep reading and I’ll show you some out-of-the-way gems that you might not find in typical Portland travel guides. The Perfect Girl’s Weekend in Portland: Saturday Morning: Hit up Tasty n Sons for brunch. Whether you’re into sweet or savory breakfasts, Tasty n Sons has something for everyone (along with some unique brunch cocktails!). The offbeat menu was inspired by the chef’s travels and interaction with immigrant communities and their cuisine, so you’ll find globally-inspired (and freaking delicious) dishes like the chocolate potato doughnut, Shakshuka, and a Dutch Baby. If you’re not feeling adventurous this morning, you’ll find plenty of traditional brunch staples as well! Saturday Afternoon: Shop for gifts at Queen Bee. Everything at Queen Bee is handmade by Portland artisans, many of whom you can watch at work directly behind the store in the workshop. This amazing shop strives to create quality goods while forging a connection between buyer and creator. Queen Bee is...

Portland Girl #Self-Love Lowdown February is full of propaganda about lovers and partners, but we want to promote the very act of caring for oneself (regardless of your relationship status!) For this weeks post, we’ve gathered a number of Portland-based businesses to curate a fun selection of events, experiences and things to spice up your Valentines Day and engage in some #Self-Love! 1.#Self-Love ‘Booty Care’ BOOTYLUV FITNESS CLASS Booty Luv® Fitness was created to help people, especially women, develop a POSITIVE relationship with their hips, booty, core, and thighs. The fusion of FUN-ctional training, barre, Pilates, yoga, kick-boxing and “booty breakdowns™” increases strength, flexibility, and balance-and it’s all set to dirty bass music with no misogynistic lyrics! Booty Luv® inspires you to love your body and booty for what it can DO, to feel sexy and strong. 2.#Self-Love ‘Story-Style!’ THE MYSTERY BOX SHOW A sex-centric storytelling show where people from all spectrums tell their true, unscripted and unmemorized stories about sex and sexuality on stage in front of a live audience. Many of their stories promote self-love, and self-acceptance as well as allowing audience members to connect and relate to the stories being told that often result in the same self-love realizations. 3. #Self-Love ‘Paint your heart out!’ Ready to get artsy? Mimosa Studios is a paint-your-own-pottery studio located on NE Alberta Street that has been open since 2001. Painters of all ages and abilities are welcomed by their friendly team. Stop in to add a bit of brightness to your Valentines Day! RED HOT DEAL: 20% off purchase. Not valid with other discounts or offers. Maximum discount...

Christmas is upon us again (how did that happen so fast?) and your loved ones want to know what to get you. Or, you are looking for something new and refreshing to gift this year! If you’re looking to upgrade your beauty routine and avoid getting another outfit you’ll never wear, perfume you’ll never spritz or candle you’ll never burn; then send this to your loved ones! These are our top pick gifts for 2015: Schmidt’s Deodorant ($9) This all natural deodorant has been around since 2010 shaking up the deodorant world. As a health-conscious beauty buyer I’ve struggled for years to find an aluminum-free natural deodorant that WORKS. I quit looking when I found out about Schmidt’s 2 years ago. This deodorant has been keeping me “stink-free” since. Thank you Schmidt’s! Oh and to top it off, these bad boys are made right here in PDX! Pick yours up at our studio in their new stick formulation in the following scents: Lavender, Cedarwood/Juniper, and Ylang Ylang/Calendula Beauty Archaeology ‘Boost Balm’ ($28) Want to be on the cutting edge of beauty while also hydrating your skin on a whole new level? Check out my friend Stephanie’s new Argan-based ‘Boost Balm’. As they say on their website: “Think of me as a hydrating vitamin bomb. I’m packed with A & E, full of antioxidants and loaded with fatty acids that your skin will love!”. And from personal experience I can say that YES, your skin WILL love this balm. I’ve been mixing a little bit in with my regular moisture cream morning and night to help seal the moisture...

Hello beauties, Team Portland Girl is sooo excited to kick off our “Portland Girl” blog series with an interview with one of our very own VIP members and one of our product-makers. Her name is Veronica Bolinger. She’s a mom, a small business owner, and a seriously fun person to have a few giggles with (which you will have to find out for yourself at our next “Portland Girl” party)! Tell us a little bit about yourself Veronica I’m a SoCal native who loves a cold day in the forest just as much as a sunny day on the beach! I made my way north to Humboldt State in 2001, for college, and traveled further north to Portland once I finished my degree in Anthropology. I worked behind the counter of a few different cosmetics companies to pay the bills, and that’s where my knowledge of good skincare habits began to form. At the time, I had no idea that deep down inside was a real passion for the industry and that 15 years later (after a short career in Montessori Education, a husband, and a daughter) I would start up my own natural skin and body care company called Bliss Babe Oils. Now all I want to do is concoct beautiful products that make people feel good and travel the world with my family. What kind of a “Portland Girl” are you? I’m a walking dichotomy. I’m the Portland Girl who loves the rain and does not own an umbrella, but I am SO ready for a sunny beach getaway come January! I enjoy getting dirty and going...

Hello beauties! We are well into summer and it’s time to talk about protecting your skin from the sun! Why? Because UVA rays cause premature aging and wrinkling of the skin! These little buggers can even pass through windows as you drive in your car. So a traffic jam goes from simply being annoying, to aging you! UVB rays on the other hand, cause burning or the superficial layers of skin and play a key role in the development of cancer. Sun damage may cause hyperpigmentation, age spots, leathery or sagging skin and DNA damage which may lead to mutations on a cellular level (causing cancer). You can EVEN get burned on a cloudy day (this goes out to you Portlanders). All said and done, wearing sunscreen is a must! But if you’re like me, you may have avoided wearing sunscreen because you heard it actually plays a role in causing cancer. The key here is the TYPE of sunscreen. Let’s review to get the facts straight. First of all there are two types of sunscreens. Physical and Chemical. Physical sunscreens use mineral UV filters, while chemical sunscreens use synthetic UV filters. There are also hybrid sunscreens which contain both. UV filters are the active ingredient in sunscreens that protect you from the sun. In physical sunscreens, it is Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Physical sunscreens protect you from the sun by sitting on the top of the skin and deflecting or blocking the sun’s rays. When you have a physical sunscreen, think thick, opaque and sometimes streaky. Physical sunscreen rubs off more easily and must be reapplied frequently....

We are very excited to be carrying Roots Soap Co. handmade soap! Roots Soap Co. is a small company located right here in Portland, Oregon! All of their soaps are handmade, cold processed to help retain the quality and integrity of the ingredients used, and are made with all local and sustainable ingredients found right here in Oregon. This week’s featured soap is called Northwest IPA. This subtly fragranced soap is made with organic IPA beer from Hopworks Urban Brewery, organic hops found in rural Oregon, and of course, the famous rainwater that falls from the Oregon skies. The scent profile is very light, but smells slightly of malt and that bitter but floral hint of a really tasty IPA. This soap has crushed hops which act as a mild exfoliant on the skin, and something we’ll all be excited to know, hops have many benefits when used on the skin! Hops are antioxidants and anti-microbial, meaning they are nutrient rich and help to protect against damaging free radicals. Roots Soap Co. handmade soap is great for those who love high quality all natural ingredients and are in the market for a local beer product that you can lather on your body, not just in your belly!...